Summary: Arakure (Wild Ones), Vol 5, Chp 22

Everyone is in a panic about what to do about the phone call from the class president’s father, who is a police officer. They run around comically, looking very guilty. Sachie tries Tora, who looks very calm, but he’s so nervous that he ends up talking into a sandal. The Sachie’s grandfather gets on the phone and gives some weird polite romanticized out of era greeting, greatly embarrassing Sachie. Finally, Igarashi steps in to stop the stupidity. He tell’s the class president’s father to excuse the fun and that everything is okay — goodbye. He then powers off the cellphone and asks the class president to turn his phone off during his visit. Sachie then remembers Igarashi’s earlier advice to be cautious around the class president.

Back to the party, Sachie calls everyone together for the present exchange. One of the male students is eating some cookies that one of the female students had hoped to exchange with Igarashi. He says the cookies aren’t very good which pisses the girl and her friends off. Sachie has two gifts and offers them up so everyone can participate. In the back of her mind, though, she is worrying about what to give Igarashi, who always bring her happiness. She wants to bring him happiness too. Cookie thief tries to stealthily throw away the rest of the cookies and is caught by Sachie who goes “yakuza” on the boy for disregarding the feelings the girl put in the cookies. Igarashi reminds Sachie to contain her temper and that she’s in front of her friends. Her friends are scared and speechless. Then the class president breaks the silence by saying that Sachie truly is a princess. Sachie freaks thinking that he means “yakuza princess,” but then he continues to explain that she’s truly a princess because she and her household care so much about the feelings of others. Sachie is saved and everyone is at ease and happy again.

The party continues and comes to an end. As the class president is leaving, Igarashi stops him to return his cell phone. The class president says that he had a good time and that it looks like Sachie is well cared for. He then reassures Igarashi that he won’t say a thing about anything. He continues by explaining that he doesn’t think the group is about money. Igarashi asks, then what the class president’s interest was (Igarshi is worried that the class president could be interested in Sachie) and the class president says that we was interested only in getting to know Igarashi better. He then shakes Igarashi’s hands in an overly familiar manner — cupping both of Igarashi’s hands in his own — and with a sparkly aura tells Igarashi that he admires him. As he leaves, the class president says that he hopes to follow in sempai’s foodsteps. Igarashi is left feeling violated, then tinged with a little of happiness after being greatly complemented, and, ultimately, confused by what just transpired.

Back in the house, Sachie thanks the yakuza for a great party. Azuma is excited because he got Sachie’s present and brags about it to Igarashi, who doesn’t care all that much. Azuma is greatly disappointed by Sachie’s weird present (red wrapping paper ??? — I have no idea what she got). Meanwhile, Igarashi is walking around thinking about the day when he sees Sachie outside climbing at tree. It’s very cold outside and it has begun to snow. Igarashi, worried rushes out to find out what Sachie is up to. Of course, Sachie slips out the tree and into Igarashi’s waiting arms and they both fall to the ground in a quasi-embrace. Igarashi scolds her for climbing trees while it’s snowing (she’s bare footed too). Sachie explains that she had put a Christmas cake in the tree to decorate with snow (??? perhaps she wanted to hide it too and that’s why she put it in the tree ???). “Cake?” Igarashi inquires. With downturned face, Sachie explains that she wanted to give Igarashi a present to thank him for taking care of her, but she couldn’t come up anything. So instead she decided to try making him a Christmas cake. By the way, the cake is beautifully decorated, despite her saying that it was easy to make. Igarashis is suprised and asks if the cake is really for him. Sachie panics thinking that he doesn’t want the cake because they’ve already eaten cake at the party and maybe he doesn’t like sweet things, but instead Igarashi is overcome with joy and kisses her hand and then gives her a big hug. He whispers in her ear that the day was wonderful because of the party and the cake. He lets go and then politely thanks her. It’s an adorable scene. Sachie thinks “The two of us together, the cold snow, and the warm feeling of his gaze was so kind and gentle.” The next morning, Sachie wakes up with a present on her bed from “Santa” with a note that says, “A necklace to fullfill your wish.” Sachie is again reminded about how Igarashi always brings her happiness — “Merry Christmas.”